Make Money With Your Own Resume Service

How To Start A Resume Writing Service

Here's a home business you can start for virtually nothing, and parlay into a million dollar enterprise in five years or less.

• Skills Required
• Low Start Up Costs
• Market Potential
• Equipment Required
• Sample Telephone Script
• The Cover Letter
• Conclusion

Make Money From Home

Many established resume writing services in the large metropolitan areas are reporting annual incomes of $250,000 or more.

Even the smaller operations, in towns as small as 15,000 are experiencing sales of $50,000 or more.

Skills Required

No special knowledge, education or experience are required for total success in this business.

An awareness of the general format of the "modern resume," and the ability to keep material are about the only prerequisites to successfully operate a resume writing service.

Low Start Up Costs

Probably the most exciting and motivational aspects of this home business idea are the low investment and risk factors involved, and the growing demand for resume service. Up until the past couple of years, few in any Americans really had to look for jobs. People in general have either forgotten how to look for a new job, or never knew how in the first place.

Market Potential

Since the start of the World War II, back in 1941, the American worker has been spoiled by an affluent society and an ideal market for the job seeker. Usually, all she had to do whenever she lost a job or wanted to change jobs was to report in to local branch of his local employment service office, check in at his union office, look at the want ads in the Sunday paper, or call a few friends and ask about job openings.

But no more! Times have changed! There are fewer jobs and an increasing number of people applying for those jobs that are available. Just recently, the post office department in a large west coast city advertised that applications would be accepted on two days only, 600 up coming openings. Would you believe that twenty thousand applicants showed up to fill out applications? Can you image the post office personnel people reviewing all those applications, and then interviewing all those people, according to the fair employment practices act?

On another day, word got out that there was going to be an opening for a fork lift driver at a local warehouse. Fifteen hundred men and women showed up even before the job was advertised!

Times are tough, and we're moving deeper into the age of specialization. Employers are demanding to know more about the applicant--his work record, natural talents and personality traits. They want the cold facts on the application form.

Personnel managers are placing a higher premium on their time, and delegating to others the job of "weeding out" the unqualified applicants from those whose backgrounds and goals come closest to fitting the needs of the company.

To get in to see the person doing the hiring nowadays, the job applicant has to "sell the short-stopper," and that calls for a professionally written resume. More and more firms are demanding resumes. Industry estimates are that by the year 2000, most of the jobs worth having will require a written resume before even an initial interview is granted.

And that's where you can fit into the picture your Professional Resume Writing Service. Probably 80 percent of the people searching for jobs don't have a resume. Of the 20 percent who do have resumes, many are ineffective; they simply do adequately present the applicant's total qualifications.

Everyone With or Without a Resume Is Looking For This Key

A professionally written resume, a sales presentation of their qualifications and experience that will get the job for them - the job they want.

The job hunters are wound up in their own specialties and problems. They don't know how, and they don't have the time - AND they're willing to pay you to put it all together for them. Just as you're willing to pay a doctor, dentist or investment broker, those who need a resume are willing to pay you for this service.

The market exists in every city and town in this country, and the demand for this service is growing daily. Your opportunity for success beyond your fondest dreams has been greater! The brass ring is here! Grab it, and hold on!

Equipment Required

You'll need a modern computer with a good word processing program installed. A previous article explains where to get this and other Office Software for FREE.

Setting up and operating from your home will be the most economical way to begin. In addition to your computer, you should have a laser printer, typist chair, adjustable long-arm lamp, and a file cabinet. However, you can get by for starters with a kitchen table at your dining room table.

To prepare yourself properly, invest in a good book on how to write "job winning" resumes. Select a book which discusses both the cover letter and format of the body of the resume.

The most important part of any resume package is the cover letter the applicant sends as part of the resume. The Cover Letter states the specific job the applicant is applying for, explains why he or she believes they are qualified, and pointedly asks for an interview.

In most cases, you'll be able to provide an "all purpose form letter" which your client can adapt to any position that interest him. More later about actual writing of the resume and the Cover Letter.

The format and style of the body of the resume are the items you want to learn from this book. Resumes of today generally follow this outline:

• Name
• Address
• City, State, zip
• Phone number
• Type of job or position wanted
• Goals and/or desires in life
• Job history, starting with current or last job held
• Special courses, education or training completed
• Military History
• Formal Education
• Activities while attending school: athletics, offices, awards
• Hobbies and special interest
• Notation that names business and personal references will be furnished on request
• Availability
• Health

Once you've organized with space and equipment, you're ready for business. All that's necessary from this point on will be advertising, client interviewing, and producing the final product.

Your advertising needs, in comparison with many other businesses, need not cost you an exorbitant amount of money. It should, however, be consistent and eye-catching.

You should contact your area's widely read newspaper and arrange to run a one-column by one inch ad every day for the next six months to twelve months. By purchasing your ad space on a daily insertion basis, and over at least six month period, your rate will be much lower than the rate charged for shorter contracts.

Your newspaper ad might read something like this:

A complete, Professional Service
MIDWEST RESUME SERVICE
Resumes--Letters--Portfolios
...that results in jobs!

Phone 123-4567

Aside from an ad in the newspaper, and perhaps a similar one in your area shoppers' papers, the only other advertising efforts you should worry about are those that that will generate laser targeted business. For example you could build a web site and focus on Free search engine listings. This alone could bring in enough busines to keep you very busy.

Sample Telephone Script

When a prospective clients call you, simply explain your services and prices, and set up an appointment for them to meet with you. For this it's best to prepare a script, which might read like this:

You, answering the phone: Good morning! Midwest Resume Service. May I help you?

Client: Yes, I'm calling about your ad in the paper.

You: Oh yes, and thank you for calling. Let me explain our services. We're professional resume writers - we interview job seekers such as yourself - learn the important features of their backgrounds as those features apply in helping us to write a resume that will land them the job they're looking for.

Then we assemble all this information into a winning presentation, type it out, give you the original plus 50 copies and a cover letter (which you can modify as necessary on your home computer and have copied each time you submit a resume). Your cost is only $140, and usually we can have everything ready for you within three or four days. Now, does that sound like what you had in mind?

Client: Yes! That's just what I had in mind. When can we get together and start the ball rolling?

You: How about this afternoon at 3:15 or would tomorrow morning at say 9:45 be better for you? We're located at 600 North Main Street. Are you familiar with the area?

Client: Yes, I know the area, no problem. This afternoon at 3:15 will be fine.

You: Good! Now, let me have your name and phone number please.

Client: Gives his name and phone number.

You: All right, Bob, we'll look forward to seeing you this afternoon at 3:15.

You now have a client, and an appointment to interview him for background information in order to put together a resume that can result in a job for him. Be sure you're prepared with a "researcher's questionnaire," to guide you in the questions to ask.

Type your resume format on a separate sheet paper, numbering each question you want an answer to, or subject you want to cover. This of course serves as a "master" which you duplicate and use as the researcher's questionnaire guide.

For each interview, take one of these "interview guides" and an ordinary yellow legal tablet, and start asking questions. Identify each page of notes with a number or subject matter from the resume format, and use a separate page of the tablet for each subject and each job the client may have had.

The interview should be relaxed, with the client doing most of the talking. However, you should control the interview and take notes as the client gives you the information you need. Be confident, but friendly. Maintain your confidence and ask leading questions that elicit complete, revealing responses. Take your time, and "listen" to what the client ISN'T telling you as well as what he/she IS telling you. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to find out all there is to know about your client in twenty minutes or less.

Look ahead to the day when you have employees working for you. Develop your interviewing techniques to a state of maximum efficiency for your business, and then record three or four interviews for use in training your employees. You should also reproduce several examples of completed resumes and put them into an instruction book for study by new employees.

After the interview, you need to interpret your notes and type the information into a resume. This would be easy because you've gathered the details in sequence with your resume format. Familiarity with format writing style makes the task of putting everything into finished form quite simple.

At the very least, a quick course in resume writing will be necessary. Check out a book on the subject from your local library. The important thing to remember is to drop the "I's" and write in a kind of note taking reportorial style:

"Hired as entry level shipping clerk. Recognized need for organization on the loading dock to eliminate congestion. Suggested designated spaces for incoming and outgoing shipments. This program was adopted and immediately eliminated congestion of trucks and decreased overtime requirements, with an estimated savings of $700 per week for the company. Promoted to Line Expeditor after six months."

Don't put a time limit on the amount of time you devote to each client, but once you're organized and established, the interview through the finished resume shouldn't take more than an hour or two.

After you have the resume typed, call the client in to check it over and approve it. In almost every case, they will be very favorably impressed and ready to go with anything you suggest.

The secret is in the quality of your work, a modern computer and laster printer, clean paper and error free copy.

So, you explain to your client that his resume will make more favorable impression on the prospective employer when it is printed on better quality paper. Suggest to him that you have it printed for him on colored "offset" paper instead of ordinary bond. Ivory, tan or blue shades are desirable. For the really expensive-looking resume, suggest that it be printed on 11x17 paper, and then folded in half to make a kind of "book" about the client.

The charges for your service should be about $$ for the interview, original resume, 50 copies on white bond paper, and an universal cover letter. For colored offset paper, or 11x17 sized sheets, check current rent prices at your print shop. You should pass those costs onto your client, plus a nominal service charge of $$ or so. Also explain to your client that you can up date or add to her resume whenever the need arises, and for this service you charge $$, plus the cost of printing as many copies as she requires.

Now For the Cover Letter

Probably the most important part of any resume submitted for job consideration. The first thing to ask your clients regarding the cover letter is if they intend to submit their resumes in answer to advertised positions, or if they intend to "shot-gun" them out to possible employers. According to his stated plan, you simply use one of the two general forms for cover letters.

And that's it, the basics you need for starting your own highly profitable resume service. A couple of things always to bear in mind: Your success will be directly related to the quality of the finished product you put out. Learn to do it right, and then strive for perfection with every job you complete for a client.

Remember too that image you project is the credibility rating you'll carry with your customers. Shabby surroundings, a disorganized office and an less than personal appearance will doom you to failure. Be impressive! Keep your eyes open, and move into an office among professional people as soon as you can.

Finally, put some real planning into starting your business; get it well established and running smoothly; then hire other people to do some of the work. The object of a business of your own is not steady employment for you, but financial security and independence, to achieve and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Plan your business, nurture its growth and then hire people to do the work while you guide, supervise and make bank deposits.

Conclusion

More resume writers are pulling down six-figure revenues. Why? Because the pool of qualified resume writers *is not* keeping pace with the number of jobseekers in need of resume writing help - resumebiz.com